A field contains many flowering plants. Half of the plants have bright purple flowers and many thorns. The other half of the plants have small white flowers and no thorns. How will the field MOST LIKELY look in the future?

Question

A.
There will be more purple flowering plants because they are more attractive to pollinators.

B.
There will be fewer white flowering plants because more pollinators will be attracted to them.

C.
There will be fewer purple flowering plants because having many thorns will encourage predators to eat them.

D.
There will be more white flowering plants because a lack of thorns prevents them from being eaten by predators

Answer 1

The correct answer is D. There will be more white flowering plants because a lack of thorns prevents them from being eaten by predators.

In this scenario, the thorns on the purple flowering plants may deter some herbivores or predators, but they may also attract some predators due to the extra effort required to access the flowers. Conversely, the white flowering plants, having no thorns, may be less likely to deter herbivores, but their lack of physical defenses might also allow them to thrive better without being eaten. Furthermore, the attractiveness of the flowers to pollinators can vary based on plant availability, growth conditions, and other ecological factors. However, it is reasonable to infer that the white flowering plants will have a better chance of increasing in number over time due to their lack of thorns and potentially lower predation rates.